Zach Randolph: For 'better' or worse?

Zach Randolph claims he has lived up to his vow and is "doing something right," but a recent incident indicates that the Blazers' franchise player still lacks maturity

By Jason Quick
The Oregonian

In a span of two hours, the enigma of Zach Randolph was put into context.
Sitting in front of his stall in the Trail Blazers' locker room at Indiana's Conseco Fieldhouse, the forward acknowledged that he was proud of himself for the way he has approached, and played, this season.

He had lived up to his preseason promise of becoming a better player, as evidenced by his per-game averages of 25.4 points and 10.1 rebounds.

He had lived up to his vow to become a leader in the Blazers' locker room, as evidenced by the team electing him a co-captain before the season. And since the season started, he had steered clear of the off-the-court trouble that had marked his five years in Portland.

Zach Randolph

"For me, I can speak for myself, not nobody else, but this is how I feel about myself: I'm doing something right," Randolph said. "And it's a better feeling. It's a better way. It's a better me."

Two hours after making that statement on Dec. 8, Randolph went out and scored 29 points against the Pacers before fouling out. On his way out of the game, he responded to a heckling fan by giving an obscene gesture, which later resulted in the Blazers suspending him for one game.

And there was the rub:

One moment, the Blazers forward performs at such a high level that his statistics place him in the company of Clyde Drexler and Geoff Petrie, two of the most famous Blazers.

The next moment, Randolph refreshes his checkered past with another incident, placing himself in the company of infamous Blazers such as Bonzi Wells and Rasheed Wallace.

It presents the uneasy question that hangs over the Blazers' front office:
Is Randolph destined for a legacy as a Blazers great alongside Drexler and Petrie? Or is it only a matter of time before his habits and immaturity send him down the path of Wells and Wallace, whose suspensions for flipping off fans and unruly behavior plagued their tenures as productive players?

Blazers coach Nate McMillan teeters between which path Randolph will take. He sees incredible potential, particularly during the Blazers' last three games of their current four-game winning streak, during which Randolph has displayed a complete package of scoring, rebounding, passing and defense.

But McMillan --a no-nonsense, sometimes militaristic coach, whom Randolph nicknamed "Sarge" in a moment of frustration last season, also braces himself for what he forecasts as inevitable slippage. As a result, the coach has tirelessly counseled Randolph, often with long talks where only a foot separates the two.

"I think with Zach, it's not . . . it's never . . . it's a work in progress," McMillan said, choosing his words carefully. "He has to understand and mature into that role of carrying a team as a franchise player.

"Is he ready for that? That's something we have to see this year."
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Certainly, Randolph is being paid like a franchise player. In 2004, at age 23, Randolph signed a six-year, $84 million deal --the most lucrative contract in Blazers history.
"And I would sign that contract again today," Blazers President Steve Patterson said. "And so would 29 other teams."

Patterson said a third of Randolph's contract will be paid over 10 years after it expires in 2010, making it less of a financial burden. But a larger part of his assurance in the contract is the way Randolph this season has emerged as one of the game's most dominant big men, which is supported by Randolph being the only player in the NBA averaging at least 25 points and 10 rebounds.

"We signed him when he was a 20 and 10 guy," Patterson said, referring to Randolph's points and rebound averages. "And today he is a 25 and 10 guy. There aren't many of those around."

It was Patterson who levied the one-game suspension against Randolph last week for the obscene gesture in Indiana, causing Randolph to forfeit his per-game salary of $133,333. The suspension --far harsher than the $10,000 fine Patterson issued to Wells in 2003 for the same gesture --seemed to indicate an emerging intolerance with Randolph's penchant for controversy, which ranges from sucker-punching then-teammate Ruben Patterson, to marijuana use, and most recently, to legal suits that accuse him of sexual abuse and intimidation.

But Patterson on Friday dismissed the obscene gesture by saying: "Everybody gets frustrated at times."

Patterson's flip-flop --one day lowering the disciplinary hammer, the next discarding the infraction as human nature --seems to illustrate the ever-present struggle in living with Randolph.

He has made considerable strides with his attitude, approach and play --giving hope that a transformation can occur. But that hope comes with an emotional price tag. For at every turn this season, there are precautions being taken --be it a heavy-handed suspension, or a look-me-in-the-eye sitdown with McMillan --in attempts to steer Randolph in the right direction.

In the meantime, a team, and a franchise, waits and hopes. Will Randolph lead them? Or perhaps more succinctly, can Randolph stay out of trouble long enough to become the franchise player?

He is asked if he thinks there is a chance he could find himself in trouble again.
"Nah. Well, what you mean? Everybody can get in trouble. That stuff, the lawsuits, they lie.
People can sit there and lie all they want," Randolph said. "But look, I've been through so much. . . . The lawsuits and all the other stuff . . . nothing is going to bother me. I just got to keep striding."

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His first stride toward this new and improved Randolph came during the summer, when during one of his many conversations with McMillan, Randolph made a decision.

"I told him I'm going to be right," Randolph said. "No me being late, no arguing back, no attitude, no walking off the court . . . you know how I was last year."

Indeed, it was a contentious introduction last season between Randolph and McMillan, who was hired from Seattle in the summer. Gone was Maurice Cheeks, a gentle and caring coach whom Randolph bonded with, and in was a hard-nosed disciplinarian in McMillan.

"Last year wasn't good," Randolph said. "I just thought he was coming in and trying to be all controlling, you know, no headbands, no cell phones . . . it was just different. I wasn't happy, I was rebellious. But this year, I understand. He is the coach. I'm the player. I'm on board with Nate."

McMillan said he expected last season to be a feeling-out process, for him and the players, while adding that Randolph wasn't the only one who had to change.

"I never felt like I had problems with Zach. We may have had a word once, but I think we were just trying to figure this out," McMillan said. "I never felt it was a bad relationship, though. I always saw a talented player, and I was trying to bring out his best. He didn't know me, and I didn't know him. The thing is, you have to respect each other, and it can't be all about yelling, as I sometimes do."

McMillan said he doesn't know which conversation swayed Randolph to be "on board" with him. But both recalled a memorable conversation in which spirituality --specifically the gifts that God provides --was discussed.

"One time we talked about God," Randolph said. "And about how He has blessed me, and how I have been blessed with opportunities --you know a lot of guys don't bounce back from knee surgery like I have. Stuff like that."

McMillan said his aim was to point out the need to take advantage of what Randolph has been given.

"I kind of got spiritual," McMillan said. "I told him that we've been blessed, and He will only give you so many opportunities, and you have to recognize and take advantage of it. A lot of us come from some tough situations, and now we have an opportunity to not only make ourselves better, but also to help other people. Whether you want that or not, it's been handed to you, and you can choose to take advantage of it and enjoy life. Or not."

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When the final buzzer sounds after a Blazers game, McMillan usually bee-lines his way to the locker room. But after Friday's 109-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, McMillan walked onto the Rose Garden court in search of Randolph, who had just accumulated 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers, all while exerting feisty energy in fronting Clippers All-Star Elton Brand.

When McMillan reached Randolph, he shook his hand and talked into his ear before patting Randolph's backside.

"He told me I worked my butt off," Randolph said.

In the past, McMillan has been stingy with praise for his players, often giving compliments that are veiled amid comments of what could be improved. But in the past three games, McMillan has increasingly gushed about Randolph.

After Randolph scored the game-winning basket with two seconds left in Philadelphia, McMillan called Randolph's 18-point, 10-rebound game an "old-school performance" because of the way Randolph patiently waited for his opportunities.

After the Blazers rode Randolph's 21 points and 11 rebounds to victory in Memphis, McMillan said Randolph was "really good," noting he was talking on defense and playing unselfishly. He concluded that Randolph "is doing all the things we have talked about."

And after the Clippers game, McMillan again raved about Randolph's unselfishness and defense. "Just his attitude out on the floor . . . he seems to be having fun," McMillan said.

The recent run of solid play comes after an early-season spurt in which Randolph scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games, putting him alongside Drexler and Petrie as one of six Blazers to accomplish the feat.

That search to determine whether Randolph can carry the Blazers franchise is slowly coming into focus.

"He has done a good job, a really good job," McMillan said. "But I think he can do even more. I want more. We need more."

He wants to see Randolph make his teammates better, show leadership and be a positive influence in the locker room.

"When he is about business out on the floor, this team plays," McMillan said. "I can just see the confidence they play with. They feed off him."

The only problem is opponents know the Blazers feed off Randolph. Therefore, Randolph has seen nightly doses of teams using two, sometimes three, defenders guarding him.

"He is getting played like Shaquille (O'Neal) at times, with someone in front and someone behind him," McMillan said. "He's seeing everything teams can throw at him. And that's good; that's a sign of respect."

Still, McMillan wonders aloud if the Blazers need to find a complementary, top-tier player. McMillan notes that in the NBA, it has been proved that teams with one star --such as Minnesota with Kevin Garnett, and Philadelphia with Allen Iverson --have trouble winning.

"I don't know a team that is winning with one guy. Two guys and you have a chance," McMillan said. "We are putting this franchise on Zach's back. Maybe he can do it, but maybe we need another good player to put in there. I think that's something we will find out."

Randolph said he would welcome help. And he thinks he has that in Brandon Roy, the rookie who is hoping to return Wednesday night against Houston after missing the past 20 games with a heel injury.

"At times it gets frustrating," Randolph said. "I just want guys to be able to come out every night and take some of that pressure off. That's not a knock on the guys in here; we have some talent. But B-Roy, he could be the one. That's why I keep saying 'B-Roy, B-Roy, B-Roy, B-Roy.' I know once he gets the ball in his hands, he's going to make something happen."

Until Roy returns at full speed, the eyes of the Blazers players, and the franchise, will be on Randolph. And more people in and around the team are believing he will stay on track, and deliver.

"He's done a lot of good things so far, but he's not going to change overnight," McMillan said. "Hopefully, he will see what he is doing now will bring him more success and the organization more success. Because what he is doing this year is like night and day from last year."